Highway 92 Corridor - Next Hot Spot
Douglas County is growing at an alarming rate these days and the next stop for the development train is the Highway 92 corridor south of Interstate 20. There is a lot of work going on through out the whole corridor with the Highway 92 Relocation Project, I-20 HOV Project, and the Highway 92 Widening Project.
Smack dab in the middle of all the construction is a three mile stretch, from Pine Drive to Lake Monroe Road, which has been constituted for the Highway 92 LCI Emerging Corridor Study via a $100,000 grant from the Atlanta Regional Commission (ARC). In 2000 ARC granted an LCI landuse study for 2,300 acres in and around Douglasville.
In February on this year ARC announced in a press release the funding for the Highway 92 corridor along with six other LCI studies. The Livable Centers Initiative (LCI) program is described by the ARC as a program “that encourages local jurisdictions to plan and implement strategies that link transportation improvements with land use development strategies to create sustainable, livable communities consistent with regional development policies.”
The Highway 92 Emerging Corridor Study is defined as follows by the ARC:
The proposed Highway 92 LCI emerging corridor is located in the east-central portion of Douglas County. The corridor consists of a 3.2 mile, four lane, median divided highway with numerous schools, shopping centers, diverse neighborhoods and parks that either directly access it or closely access it on adjacent local streets. A primary concern to the area residents, business owners and officials of Douglas County is the efficient control of the undeveloped commercial areas, future access points and the future aesthetics of the corridor. Douglas County envisions this merging corridor transforming into vibrant mixed use centers with a range of housing choices and an environment that promotes mobility and opportunity.
- ARC Press Release
C.D. Truitt Business Park
Concept of the Shoppes at Fairburn
Douglas County also has created a web page for the grant and corresponding study. Currently the County is evaluating the submission of four firms to create the study. You may remember of an LCI study for Lithia Springs a few years ago, unfortunately the ARC never approved of the study.
Another term floating around the study that may have been heard is a “corridor overlay” – the County describes it as “intended to enhance the viability and livability of the area and to achieve and maintain a pleasing aesthetic quality in architecture, landscaping, and signage; and to encourage pedestrian accessibility within the corridor.” This overlay is mainly for commercial development.
There is another overlay called the Village Overlay that will be within the Corridor Study covering an area from Highway 166 to Interstate 20. A village overlay is to “encourage developing as one project, tracts of land that are sufficiently large to allow a mixed-use development consisting of uses permitted under this article, and only such permitted uses while maintaining compatibility with the existing areas and creating an attractive, efficient and stable environment. It encourages a mixture of prominently sited office/institutional, commercial establishments, civic or community buildings and housing types to provide a balanced mix of activities and public spaces.”
I won’t go into the details concerning both of these overlays, however I will provide PDF formatted documents provided by the County that describe both in incredible detail and legal terminology.
Development in Area
Current new development within the corridor study has no relation to the study and can be viewed as pure coincidence. Another point to make is considering the LCI grant is only $100,000, the beneficial impact of the study may not yield mutual improvement to the current development, but may serve a later purpose for funding larger development projects.
Now onto development. The most obvious scene right now is the clearing of 17.58 acres across the street from the Publix on Lee Road. In 2005 Inland Group had listed the project as the Douglasville Depot under future projects in a stockholders meeting packet. Clearing did not occur until Inland was bought out by Developers Diversified Realty (DDR), however the development permit lists Inland as the developer and the development also has a notation for the Lee Road Extension.
The Lee Road Extension is actually referencing the Bomar Road Connector Project.
The proposed project plan is to extend Lee Road through the intersection of Highway 92 and extend to Bomar Road and Chapel Hill Road to provide improved east-west travel continuity and access to I-20 and traffic congestion relief from the south Douglas and Chapel Hill Community.
Private development projects will construct the first phases of the Bomar Road connector with future phases to be planned and developed by Douglas County through the planning development process. A draft project environmental screening and alternatives alignment analysis is to be performed by Douglas County as part of SPLOST Road Program activities.
This information will be used to efine not only location but also project need and purpose, typical section and other relevant information prior to formal submittal into the Regional Transportation Plan. It is envisioned that the project will spawn and foster changes that will be utilized to also support LCI goals for Fairburn Road.
- LCI Application
Not much is known about the Douglasville Depot, but one can assume it will be a shopping center with a major retailer as an anchor. What many people might not know is that Wal-Mart was looking to build on the property, but did not receive approval because the land lot was very high density residential.
Behind the Publix is a development of 30 acres by Robinson & Sons called the C.D. Truitt Business Park, yet the development permit reads Strickland Business Community. According to the sign on the property, the business park is divided into seven sections that could facilitate office space, retail, a church and a restaurant. This property is very recognizable by any driver who passes by, noticing the large flag pole and American Flag that was installed recently.
Another development many may have not heard of is the Shoppes at Fairburn – a retail shopping center designed for office space and showrooms for retailers. Located at 2477 Fairburn Road, the zoning for this property changed from Urban Residential to Commerce Center last year. The Planning and Zoning Board denied the two applications for the rezoning, but the Board of Commissioners overruled the denial and approved the rezoning unanimously.
The purpose of the rezoning was to allow the construction of mini-warehouses, a contractor’s office, and truck rentals. The property was to be surrounded by an 8 foot opaque fence upon completion. However today there is a sales sign in front of the property with it zoned as commercial. Midcoast Properties, Inc. asked for the rezoning in 2006 and is in the process of selling the property.
Development Prospects
Although not publicly confirmed, both Wal-Mart and Kroger are looking in the area, with Kroger having the possibility of being the anchor at the Douglasville Depot. If Wal-Mart or Kroger find their way into the corridor, it could generate a retail spark that would ignite more commercial development into the area.
At one time Wal-Mart wanted to build at the northeast corner of Highway 92 and Riverside Parkway. The contract was with Regency Centers, the same developer who created Chapel Hill Centre where Kohl’s is at today, but Regency opted out of the deal.
There is a certainty in the air that this section of Highway 92 could become the next Highway 5. The roadway is being widened to the south and the improvements to the I-20 corridor are underway, yielding much promise in the next five years.
Downloads
Below are a few downloadable files that were referenced in this article. A small tour has been made for Google Earth to outline the two differing study areas provided by the County and ARC. If you need a PDF reader, download Foxit Reader.
- Highway 92 Corridor For Google Earth » KMZ (1.7 KB)
- LCI Application » PDF (1.4 MB)
- Corridor Overlay » PDF (1.2 MB)
- Village Overlay » PDF (2.8 MB)
- Shoppes at Fairburn brochure » PDF (79 KB)
Excellent Post. Never heard about the Lee Rd Extention until now, and thinking about it, how in the world would they do that, considering all the residents in that part of the county.
If there was one part of the county I support developing, it’s this area. The highway is and has always been ready, the land plots are there, and it’s about time to do something with the abandoned and crumbling houses and farms I see from the road.
June 12th, 2007 at 8:52 pmIt is possible for Lee Road to extend to Bomar Road with little impact. The road would have to snake between the Whisper, Plymouth Rock and Pritchards subdivisions in order to make the connection. Unfortunately, some houses will have to be removed on Bomar Road in order to make way for the extension.
June 13th, 2007 at 9:11 amI stumbled across this website and I am so glad I found it. I get so much information from reading this, and I’m telling all my friends and family to visit this website. Keep up the good work and keep us posted as to the final developments of the Douglasville Depot anchor/stores. Many thanks!
June 13th, 2007 at 2:19 pmThanks for the article! I too am very happy I happened upon this site a few months ago - this is the only real source of development information for us Douglasvillians :-). Thank you for your wonderful community service!
June 19th, 2007 at 7:44 pmExcellent Smithers
October 11th, 2007 at 6:37 pmDEAR SIR IS THERE ANY INFO….OR IN THE WORKS FOR MIDWAY RD…THINK YOU SIR
March 17th, 2008 at 6:25 pmI don’t know how Midway Road will be affected. Please be advised that the documentary portion of this project is over.
March 18th, 2008 at 4:23 am